Salary review commission seeks new member

The term of the most vocal champion to increase the Vancouver mayor’s salary expires at the end of the year.

The once low-profile Vancouver Salary Review Commission was thrust into the spotlight after backing a 117-percent increase to the mayor’s salary in April.

Commissioner Thomas Hackett, a proponent of raising the mayor’s salary from $27,600 annually to $60,000, could reapply to the position but is unsure if he will do so.

“The lack of collegiality from people who seemed to care about Vancouver and the process put me off to it,” Hackett said. “I really at the end of the day wanted to see what’s best for Vancouver.”

After community uproar and a move by the city council to reject the raises, the salary review commission scrapped their initial proposal and started over. Ultimately, they approved an raise of 4 percent for the mayor and city councilors for the next two years.

Hackett voted against the smaller raises.

The decision will increase the mayor’s annual pay from $27,600 to $28,704 beginning in January, and then to $29,582 the following year.

The mayor pro tem, a councilor who fills in when the mayor is unavailable, will receive a pay boost from $24,000 a year to $24,960 beginning next year, and $25,958.40 the following year.

City councilors’ pay will increase from $21,600 annually to $22,464 next year, then $23,362.56 in 2018.

Mayor Tim Leavitt, who was also in favor of the pay increase despite making it clear he’s not seeking re-election, said despite the outcome, the dialogue the salary review commission created was healthy.

“They raised the awareness of the community of what the actual compensation is for the mayor and the council and afforded people the opportunity to say what they expect of their local officials versus compensation and time commitment, and that’s a good thing,” Leavitt said.

The city of Vancouver is accepting applications to the commission. To apply, contact Amanda Delapena at 360-487-8605 or amanda.delapena@cityofvancouver.us.

Or apply online: www.cityofvancouver.us/boardsandcommissions.

The deadline to submit an application is 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9.